Socket-joint



R. H. BROWN.

SOCKET JOINT. 221.1011103 FILED 00T. so, 1911.

41 ,024,6 1 5 A Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

RALPH I-I. BROWN, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SOCKET-JOINT.

To all whom it may concer/n.;

Be it known that I, RALPH H. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at lVorcester, in the co-unty of lVorcester and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Socket-Joint, of which thefollowing is a speciiication.

This invention is particularlydesigned for use with cement filledcolumns, although capable of use successfully with pipe, solid, or othercolumns.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a construction forsupporting the beams in such a way that the beams shall apply a directthrust to the socket joint itself instead of exerting a shearing strainupon the supporting platform, whereby the bending action on the platformis eliminated or decreased and the utility of the device is greatlyincreased, and whereby for the same load a socket piece of much lighterconstruction canv be employed; also to provide a construction for thispurpose which shall be as near continuous as possible at the joint; inwhich no holes for bolster screws will be required in the body of thecolumn; and in which no screw threads have to be cut in the column asfor a iange joint; to provide a construction in which the column suersno loss of transverse strength at the joint, and in which the joint canreadily be inspected at the building and the size of all its partsmeasured before its erection.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1is a plan of a socket joint and beam connection constructed inaccordance with this invention; and Fig. 2 is a central transversesectional view thereof.

The invention is shown as applied to connect the lower column a andupper column for the purpose of supporting horizontal beams e. Thesocket joint is shown as comprising a cylindrical portion D having adiaphragm CZ extending across the same, which may be perforated or notat (Z2 as desired. This diaphragm is part-way between the top and bottomand obviously the cylindrical body with the diaphragm affords twoconcentric sockets, one at the bottom for receiving the top of the lowercolumn a, and the other at the top for receiving the bottom of the uppercolumn o. Integrally connected with the cylindrical shell is aSpecicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1911.

Patenteanpr. 3o, 1912. Serial N o. 657,394.

series of triangular supporting webs cl3 having their apexes at thebottom and widened out at the top. These webs support the outer edges ofa horizontal platform Clt which like the webs is integral with thesocket and which extends outwardly from the top thereof and is flushwith the top.. This platform as will' be seen, extends clear in to thesurface of the upper column o. In order to eliminate bending action onthe platform or socket, in case the beam should be out of line, theplatform may be curved downward at the outer edge as shown at d5. Thebeams may be bolted to the platform by bolts e if desired. Where specialrigidity is required as in a joint with an eccentric load, a cementgrouting f can be introduced into theupper socket. From thisconstruction it will be seen that the platform affords a firm and rigidsupport for the beams, and that any desired number of beams can besupported upon it, either when it projects in only one or moredirections from the center or when it is symmetrical around the column.

The principal feature is that the beams project substantially intocontact with the upper column, so that their ends rest directly overrthevertical wall of the cylindrical joint. Consequently there is noshearing strain exerted by the beams on the platform itself. This is anadvantage over such prior constructions as I am acquainted with for thereason that they require a vertical wall outside the upper column abovethe platform, and this wall prevents the beam being rested directly overthe Vmaterial of the cylindrical portion of the joint, and

consequently necessitates the resting of the end of the beam on theplatform beyond the circumference of this cylindrical portion. This inthe ordinary forms of beams exerts a shearing and bending strain o-n theplatform which must be resisted by much more metal than is the case witha direct thrust as is the case with my invention. It will be seentherefore that this result is secured by having the entire socketlocated below the platform and having it provided with a socket for theupper column also located below the platform.

It will be seen that all the holes necessary for bolts or screws, aremade in the platform and none need be made in the body of the column.Thus a material source of weakness is completely avoided and another oneis avoided by reason of the fact that no screw threads are to be cut onthe column for the flange joint. This socket is preferable to aconnection made with flanges and pintles as the column suffers no lossof strength at the joint. Another advantage is that the joint can beinspected very readily at t-he building and the size of all its partsmeasured before it is erected, as no part of it is built into the columnduring construction. The end of the frame also can be brought up againstthe column.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of theinvention, I am aware that many modifications can be made in the same byany person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed in the claim. Therefore I do not wish to belimited to the details of construction herein shown and described, but

That I do claim is The combination with a lower Column, of a socketpiece having aA cylindrical body provided with a concentric downwardlyopening socket fitting' the top of said column, a diaphragm about midYay between the top and bottom of the socket piece resting on the top ofsaid column, and an up wardly opening cylindrical socket ofsubstantially the same size as the lower socket, whereby it hascylindrical vertical wallsI bounding both sockets and integral with thediaphragm, said walls extending from the bottom of the socket piecematerially above the diaphragm in the form of a uniform hollow cylinder,said socket piece being provided with a horizontal platform flush withits top and integral therewith, triangular webs extending from a pointjust below the diaphragm up to the platform and integral with bot-h andhaving their widest dimension at the top, an upper column projectingabout half way to the bottom of the socket piece and resting on saiddiaphragm, and beams resting on the top of said platform entirely abovethe socket piece and having their ends substantially in Contact with theupper column and directly over the entire thickness of the verticalwalls of the socket piece.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of twosubseribingwitnesses.

RALPH H. BROVN. lVitnesses.

J. Emma HALL, ALBERT E. FAY.

Copies of this patent may bc obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

